29.3 Hearing Officers

  1. List of Hearing Officers. The American Arbitration Association, or other similar neutral body, will be asked to provide the President with the names of fifteen persons from institutions of higher learning other than Regents institutions who have earned law degrees or have experience as hearing officers, arbitrators, or mediators, and have consented to serve the University as hearing officers.

    The President shall forward the list to the Faculty Senate, the Staff Council, and the Student Senate. Each group may strike from the list up to three of the persons named. The President shall be informed of the decision to strike within two weeks of the list being forwarded. Those whose names remain on the list after the two-week period shall constitute the hearing officer list.

    If at any time membership on the hearing officer list falls below five, the President will ask for a new list of fifteen qualified persons from the American Arbitration Association, the selection process will be repeated, and the remaining names will be added to the existing list.
  2. Drawing and Challenges. When a case is to be heard, the presiding officer of the appropriate Judicial Commission shall place the names of the members of the hearing officer list on separate slips and a drawing will be held, with the person whose name is drawn first being designated as hearing officer, subject 1) to the person so designated expressing a willingness to serve and 2) to a peremptory challenge by either the person charged or the Academic Officer. If the hearing officer selected feels that they would not be able to conduct an unbiased hearing, such person shall disqualify themselves. The person charged and the Academic Officer shall have one peremptory challenge which must be exercised within twenty-four hours of a name being presented to them.

    If the person selected expresses a willingness to serve, that person's name will be presented to the Academic Officer. If the Academic Officer does not exercise a peremptory challenge, their right to challenge shall be deemed waived, and the name will be presented to the person charged. If the person charged does not exercise a peremptory challenge, the person selected will be the hearing officer. If the person charged does exercise a peremptory challenge in such a situation, a new drawing will take place and the first person whose name is drawn and who indicates a willingness to serve will be the hearing officer.

    If when the name is presented to the Academic Officer, they exercise a peremptory challenge, a new name will be drawn, inquiry as to willingness to serve made, and the name of the person first drawn who expresses a willingness to serve will be presented to the person charged. If the person charged does not exercise a peremptory challenge, the person whose name was presented will be the hearing officer. If the person charged does exercise a peremptory challenge, a new drawing will take place, and the first person whose name is drawn and who indicates a willingness to serve will be the hearing officer.